Tensions remained high in Greenfield near Eden Park, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday, 1 July, as residents forced foreign-owned spaza shops to close and demanded that their owners leave the community following nationwide anti-immigrant protests.
Groups of community members moved from shop to shop, instructing mainly Ethiopian shop owners to pack their stock, lock their businesses and vacate the area. By midday, at least five shops had closed.
Community leaders insisted the operation was being carried out peacefully and warned residents against looting or damaging property.
Community leader Nthamdo Mbatha said residents were simply assisting shop owners to pack their belongings before leaving the area.
“We are doing this peacefully. We want them to collect all their stock and leave. We do not want violence or looting,” said Mbatha.
Resident Dudu Memela said the community no longer wanted foreign nationals operating businesses in the township.
“We’re tired of them and their services. The best thing they can do now is leave us in peace. We want them to go and operate in their own countries, not here in Mzansi anymore,” she said.
Bongani Mlotsha of Palm Ridge said Tuesday’s nationwide marches had served as a warning and that communities now wanted action.
“The marches have happened. Now we are talking about action. We want all of them to leave. We would rather have local people running the spaza shops in our townships so that we can support our own South African businesses,” he said.
Similar protests were also reported in nearby Palm Ridge, where residents made similar demands for foreign-owned businesses to close.
The African National Congress (ANC) in Ekurhuleni also condemned the looting and criminal behaviour that followed some of Tuesday’s protests.
ANC Ekurhuleni Regional Secretary Jongizizwe Dlabathi said while communities had a constitutional right to protest peacefully, criminal acts undermined legitimate concerns.
“We have noted with serious concern the sudden outbreak of illegal activities following what were largely peaceful marches across Ekurhuleni,” said Dlabathi.
“It is unacceptable that some individuals chose to engage in looting and other criminal acts. The African National Congress condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms.”
He urged residents to raise their concerns through lawful and peaceful means while allowing law enforcement agencies to deal decisively with those responsible for criminality.
Meanwhile, the South African Police Service said more than 900 people were arrested during Tuesday’s nationwide anti-migrant protests, which were largely peaceful but were marred by isolated incidents of violence, looting and criminality.
Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said 120 marches took place across the country, with 108 remaining peaceful while police had to intervene in 12 protests that turned violent.
Some of those arrested were undocumented foreign nationals detained for immigration-related offences, while others were arrested for public violence, robbery and harbouring undocumented immigrants. Mosikili added that police had deployed additional officers to five provinces to respond to isolated incidents of unrest and warned that anyone engaging in criminal activity would face the full might of the law.
